Juvenile Justice Network (JJN), NWFP, organised a consultation in District Bar Hall, Chitral, on Friday on 'Enforcement and implementation of Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000 (JJSO)'. As many as 50 bar members participated in the consultation.
Engr Taimur Shah, Co-ordinator, Child Rights Committee (CRC), Chitral, said that CRC was regularly extending free legal assistance to juveniles in prison and was working for the extension of JJSO to Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
Society for the Protection of Rights of the Child (Sparc) Deputy National Co-ordinator Arshad Mahmood informed the participants that federal government had promulgated JJSO on July 1, 2000, but children living in Pata and Fata are deprived of legal relief since the law has not been extended there.
Ismat Isa, Public Prosecutor, Chitral, said that the law had not been extended even though the department was trying to provide maximum possible relief to juveniles.
Anees Jillani, Advocate and National Co-ordinator Sparc, observed that it was unfortunate that the law had not yet been implemented in Chitral.
He asked lawyers to visit Chitral Jail regularly and extend free legal assistance to juveniles.
The consultation adopted a resolution asking for the extension of JJSO 2000 to Pata and the appointment of a probation officer in Chitral.